PLANNING YOUR WEDDING TO REFLECT YOU AS A COUPLE
It is no lie that alternative wedding photography has engulfed the wedding community, so here comes some wedding advice. Gone are the days where stuffy formals and tripods reigned supreme. You as a couple have the creative freedom to plan what ever wedding you want. And yet, in days like these, we can all get a little over whelmed when having to plan your own wedding.
CALM, CLEAR, and RELAXED WEDDING ADVICE
It seems like a massive task when you sit down to look at all of the elements you need to bring together. The cake, the flowers, the dress, the button holes, the table settings, the table plan, bridesmaids outfits, the favours and making sure the confetti is bio degradable to name a few. Most people have never even really thought about their wedding having a schedule or a running order, let alone where to start to when planning the ‘perfect’ day.
ALTERNATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE WIN
Whether you are dreaming of a big traditional wedding in a stately home, a laid back tepee wedding in your garden, or a registry office ceremony no one wedding is better than the other. I will let you into the big secret – weddings can be what you make them. There is no right way to plan a wedding. No two people are alike, so why should your weddings be? The overall outline of a wedding is for two people to commit their lives to one another and everything else in-between is unique to you. I have compiled a few photographs to show how my couples have made their day to reflect their personalities and ultimately them as a couple.
CHERYL AND STUART
Cheryl and Stuart took three days off and rented a huge stately home for their friends and family to spend their wedding with them. It was completely fantastic and what they valued most was spending time with the people they loved. In fact the wedding was a lovely addition to the weekend. They hired wood fire pizza trucks to feed everyone one evening, had a casino night held in the basement, went zorb-ing in the grounds outside, played golf from the roof and swam in the venues amazing indoor pool. They got married late afternoon on the second day and had a communal evening meal with a big long continual table in the banquet hall followed by a good old fashioned knees up. If you find yourselves planning a small wedding then check out this blog piece with some helpful micro wedding advice.
EMMI AND OLI
Emmi and Oli chose to have a relaxed countryside wedding at Dodmoor House, with lovely personal touches. Their speeches were spoken outside over champagne and bathed in sunshine and their cake was made by the bride’s sister. For dinner they chose to have huge paella pans cooking in the courtyard outside and when evening came they opted out of the first dance and instead went for a lovely impromptu start to the evening when the band started to play.
HANNAH AND ANDY
The couple decided to throw the rule book out when organising their wedding and got married on a stage. Their alternative wedding photography brief fitted perfectly with their wild wedding. They said their vows in front of all their loved ones and took a standing ovation bow at the end. They both chose for less traditional wedding outfits which fit with both of their characters perfectly. You can check out their alternative wedding here.
AMY AND RUTH
Amy and Ruth’s wedding can be found on my blog. They are the perfect example of planning a wedding day just how you as a couple want it. They were married by their best friend at Inkersall Grange Farm, outside in front of all their closest people. With Amy prior to this arriving in a helicopter the couple had no detail spared. Sourcing all of the bottles, glasses and props, creating meters of hand made bunting, hiring wood fired pizza ovens for evening guests and having camping on site. They really planned a wonderful wedding with alternative wedding photography to capture it all too!
FRANKIE AND OLLIE
Frankie and Ollie had the quintessential English summer wedding at Loseley House with plenty of personal touches thrown in. From the handmade bouquet and floral arrangements made by someone in their church, to Frankie hand writing all of the table settings with calligraphy. The wedding cake was hand made by Ollie’s mum and guests were encouraged to bring along a sweet dessert for the evening. Frankie also gave a speech, and instead of speaking aloud her words she had a friend accompany her on the guitar.
CHARLOTTE AND ANTHONY
Charlotte and Anthony’s full wedding is also up on my blog. They picked a place they both loved to get married and travelled to the Lake District at Park House Barn. Although it rained all day, it was clear to see the unique touches they had made on their venue. With hundreds of fairy lights, the couple sourced all of the spirit bottles in which their flowers sat on their tables. As well as personalising a map for their seating chart and rainbow umbrellas the couple had a five tiered cheese wheel to cut instead of a wedding cake!
BETHANY AND DAVID
Bethany and David had a traditional wedding in Essex, however the fabulous Stockbrook Manor has their ceremonies outside [weather permitting] so it almost felt like they were getting married in Australia! A horse and cart came to whisk them away for some couples photographs and Bethany’s maid of honour gave a speech along side the groom and father of the bride.
ELLEN AND TOM
Ellen and Tom were married under an ancient oak tree on land that belonged to a family friend. They had a paella wedding breakfast dinner and both gave gorgeous speeches. The couple even had hired a DJ duo that they had seen perform at Glastonbury Festival. It was by far one of the most active dance floors I have ever been present to. Their full wedding gallery is up on my blog if you would like to take a look. There are some more details in my latest Summer wedding food ideas blog piece which may off you some free wedding advice when it comes to catering.
As long as you have got all of the most special people in the world around you, then you cannot really go wrong with planning your day. Times have changed since our grandparent’s and even parents have been married. How you organise your wedding can be completely different. But the trick is not to worry about what people have done before and if you want to take your vows scuba diving, have an entire wedding cake made out of cookies or use your pet cockatoo as a ring bearer then the fantastic thing is that was your decision.
You are designing your wedding to REFLECT you as a couple
I hope that you have found this wedding advice useful. People are unique and so too should your wedding day. Now this does not mean you have to be completely wacky. What it means is that the personal touches you add to your big day are going to be what you remember most. If you are looking for some help places like Pinterest are fantastic for inspiration. That is, if you feel like getting a bit crafty with your place settings or room design.
Here is a link to my Pinterest for potential brides to have a look at. Most of all remember to enjoy the planning and on the day step back to take a look at what you have created. Alternatively, take a look at this intimate Marlow wedding where Janet and Steve planned their day exactly how they wanted it. However, if you require more tips take a look at my advice blog about the perils of Searching For Cheap Wedding Photography.